Guest DJ

Guest DJ: Brandon Boyd

Brandon Boyd is perhaps best known as frontman to popular alt rock band, Incubus, but he's far more than that. The talented singer is also a published author -- his third book. So The Echo was released in September -- who is embarking on a solo project as Sons of the Sea.

Brandon Boyd teamed up with iHeartRadio when he was in New York City recently to Guest DJ a radio station that represents his eclectic taste. Check out his top ten tracks below.

1. James Blake, "Retrograde"

"I became a listener of Mr. Blake on his first album," Brandon tells iHeartRadio. "I just found his curious song writing abilities to be curious (laughs) and intriguing -- I think intriguing probably is the better word. I saw him perform at Los Angeles at a studio for a little intimate gig and was even more intrigued once I saw him and I saw what he was able to do with technology. He’s kind of the first electronic artist, if we can call him that, that has been intriguing to me in the recent past. A lot of the electronic music escapes me because it doesn’t seem to have much soul, and every once in a while someone will come up like a Björk or James Blake who I find just incredible... He’s the future."

2. Pixel, "Call Me"

"I have to say I know nothing about this band other than I heard this song on a friend’s playlist that somebody made for me and I was like, 'whoa, whoa, whoa what is this?' and I immediately looked them up... hope to catch them at some point. It’s really weird and it’s really fun,."

3. Jeff Buckley, "Lover You Should"

"An old favorite of mine, the late great Jeff Buckley. 'Lover You Should’ve Come Over' from his album Grace, which was his first and unfortunately only full length album to come out while he was alive that I’m aware of. A lot of stuff has come out posthumously, but he’s one of these artists that I forever will regret not seeing live. I’ve seen videos of him performing and heard lots of bootlegs and things like that... he was such a phenomenal signer and guitar player. Really kind of one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ type artists. What it’s taught me actually is to -- if I fall in love with an artist's music -- go see them play cause you don’t know how long they’re gonna be around."

4. White Denim, "Pretty Green"

I just recently got introduced to these guys -- and still kind of getting to know them -- but what I’ve heard I’ve been really enjoying. I love the mood of it. It just feels cool, makes me feel cool... If I meet them ever I’ll be like, 'You guys make me feel cool when I listen to your music!'"

5. Wild Nothing, "Ocean Repeating (Big-Eyed Girl)"

So here is another band I’ve just been recently introduced to, called The Wild Nothing or Wild Nothing. I think they’ve dropped the the. It’s a track called, 'Ocean Repeating (Big-Eyed Girl)' and it’s fantastic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

"This next song is from The National who we’ve probably all been hearing a lot about recently, for good reason. They’re a really great band and I just learned that they’re on their fifth record, which makes me feel like I am super behind on my music homework, so I’m gonna do a little back listening here on The National. I was aware of their last album, which I loved a lot, but this new one has been really cool... Let’s get moody."

7. Antony & The Johnsons, "Another World"

"I think I have a soft spot for moody music. One of my favorite singers from the past five, six, seven years has been Antony from Antony and the Johnsons, and I was first turned on to him through Björk, who’s one of my all time favorite singers and performers. On her album -- I forget which record it was -- but she did a track with Antony called 'The Dull Flame of Desire,' so I started investigating and looking for stuff on him. He’s got a band called Antony and the Johnsons.”

8. Dr. Dog, 'Vampire"

"Next on this behemoth playlist I’ve compiled for you is a band called Dr. Dog with a song called 'Vampire.' I was introduced to this song if not mistaken the old fashion way, I walked into a coffee shop and they were playing it. So it was sort of in a round about way recommended by highly caffeinated people who are... you can’t tell if they’re being rude to you or if that’s just sort of the gig at a coffee shop which, of course, if they’re playing something and they’re having that attitude it must be cool, right? (laughs). Anyway I love this song and I used my old Shazam button and I got to figure out who it was."

9. Grizzly Bear, "Southern Point"

This next band is really, really wonderful. They’re really, really great. You guys should listen to them if you get the chance. They’re called Grizzly Bear. “Southern Point” came off of a record called Veckatimest. Fantastic record, and all their other albums are pretty amazing too, but this song in particular struck a chord with me because it had elements to it that I was attempting to harness on my own when I made my own first solo record a couple years ago. I kind of missed the mark, so when I heard this track I was like, 'See that’s what it –damn it, alright I’m just gonna listen to this band.'"

10. The Doors, "Moonlight Drive"

"The Doors are kind of one of my all time favorite bands growing up near Venice Beach. I was late to the plate here cause I wasn’t sort of, of the right generation, but every time I hear this song, or most Door’s songs for that matter, I feel like I’m whipped into a time machine and pulled back into Venice Beach in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and it seems like it would’ve been a pretty cool place to be."